Electric self-winding clock.



No 866,076. PATBNTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

, E. SCHULTZ.

ELECTRIC SELF WINDING CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29, 1907.

\NVENTSR, EMIL SCHULTZ,

Attow-neBs,

EMIL SCHULTZ, ()l BERLIN, GERMANY.

ELECTRIC SELF-WINDING CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed April 29,1907. Serial N0- 370,766.

To all tr/1on1 it may concern:

lie it known that l, liillli Scuet'rz, residing in llerlin, i\'o. 72 l)it-ffenbachstrasse, a subject of the King of Prussia, (term-an limpire, have invented new and useful .lmprovemcnts in Electric Self-Winding (locks, of which the following is a full and ctnnpletespecification.

My present invention relates to electric timepieces, whose mechanism is put into operation by the rotation of an armature, which. after being attracted, opens the circuit by which the electronnignets are excited and then returns into the position of rest under the influence of a spring, weight or the like, whereupon the electric circuit is again closed, so that the motion of the armature is repeated.

The subject of my invention consists of a contact device which is operated by the turning movement of the armature.

in carrying out my invention I arrange two levers in the manner of shears which are under the inlluence of a spring or weight, so that a projection on one of the levers is resiliently pressed against the bottom edge of the other lever. To the armature of the electromagnet l secure a contact piece, which, when the armature is attracted, is pressed between said projection and the second lever, so that these love are turned in opposite directions. The contact between the contact piece and said second lever, owing to the use of the spring, is so lirm that there is no danger of sparks being formed, owing to vibrations to which the time-piece may be subjected, and the contact pieces are thus prevented from being oxidized.

One construction embodying my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the electromagnet winding and contact devices as adapted for an electric clock. Fig. 2, a section on the line IlI in Fig. 1, Fig. 3, a section on the line Ill-1V of Fig. 1, Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show the principal positions of the contact pieces diagrammatically.

The clockshown in the drawing has an electromagnet provided with two coils 1, 2, which surround the iron cores ending in the poles 3, 4, The opposite ends of the iron cores are connected by an iron bridgepiece 5 in the usual manner and an armature 6 of soft iron is adapted to turn between the poles 3, 4. Said armature is loosely fitted on a spindle 7 and is provided with a ratchet wheel which enables said armature ti to turn independent of the spindle 7 when it; is attracted by the poles 3 4 owing to the electric current passing through the coils 1, 2. After interrupting the current the armature returns into its first position by reason of the spiral spring 8, the spindle 7 being then also turned, owing to the action of the ratchet wheel. This spindle 7 belongs to the clockwork and may for example be the minute arbor, on which the larger hand of the time piece is secured.

.-\s it is always desirable to utilize the electric energy, by whit-lithe coils l and 2 are excited I use fly-weights which l connect with the armature in the following manner: tln the armature are secured two pins 5) and it). which pass through slots ll, l2 ot' the plate [:1 and carry the lever lti provided with the two tl v-weights l-t. 15, said lever being riveted, soldered or screwed to said pins. All these parts of the chick-work are known both alone and in combination. The contact device described below is however new. Said device consists substantially of an arm l7 secured to the lever ltl. Un'this arm is provided the pin 18 disposed at right angles thereto. instead of this pin a rod or plate of any other section for example of elliptic or rhombic section may be used. I prefer however the use of a pin of circular section in most cases because such a pin is simple in construction and suilices the purpose fully. Over the pin is arranged the lever 19 adapted to turn on a pin 20. Said lever 19 carries a lever 21, which is secured to the lever 15) by a screw 20. The lever 21 is disposed parallel to the lever 19 and has a rhombic shaped projection 22 of insulating material, for example of hard rubber. The projection '12 engages un der the lever 15) and has an inclined surface 23. 3etween the two lovers It] and 21 a spring 24 of thin bent wire is provided, one end of which is fastened to the lever 19. while the other end is secured to the lever 21. This can for example be done by providing a hole of the diameter of the wire in each of the lovers into which hole the ends of the wire are inserted, it being then secured in position when properly bent. The resilience of said spring causes the lovers l9 and 21 to be so turned that the projection 22 normally bears against the bottom edge of the lever 19. The force with which these parts are pressed together depends upon the tension of the spring which can be chosen according to circumstances so that on the armature being attracted and the pin 18 thus being turned the movement of the armature is not retarded too much, when the contact pin 18 arrives between the bottom edge of the lever 19 and the projection 22. On the other hand, the tension of the spring must be sulliciently strong that the pin 18 is forced between the bottom edge of the lever 19 and a the projection 22, as otherwise the desired effect will not be obtained, it being intended that the contact pieces shall be well pressed together, when the circuit is closed in order to prevent sparks from being formed. If now an electric current is allowed to pass through the coils l, 2 the poles attract the armature so that it has the tendency to turn into the magnetic axis of the field between said poles. The turning motion of the armature 6 however causes the lever 17 connected therewith to be turned in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4. The pin 18 accordingly strikes on the inclined surface 23 of the projection 22 and is forced between the upper edge of this projection and the bottom edge of the lever 19. ,Thespring 24 tends to retard this movement. During the further motion of the armature 6 the pin 18 slides on the top edge of the projection 22 and along the bottom edge of the lever 19 until it reaches the free end oi these, levers and leaves the same. I

In Fig. 5 the middle position of the contact pieces is shown, the contact pin 18 still being between the lever 19 and the projection 22. At the instant in which the contact pin 18 leaves the lever 19 the electric current passing through the coils 1, 2 is interrupted'and the magnetism by which the arinature 6 was brought in the magnetic axis between the poles 3 and 4 ceases. The armature is then under the influence of thespring 8, by which it is turned back into its first position,- the clock-work being then put into 'dperation. The motion of the clock WOIk is interrupted during the short period occupied by the attraction of the armature, is continued however as from the instant in which the current is interrupted until the armature returns into its first position. The

return motion of the armature causes the contact pin to again strike against the projection 22 and in this case on the rounded off free end thereof. As a consequence the projection 22 and the two levers l9 and 21 are raised by the contact pin, which passes along the bottom edge of the projection 22, as shown in Fig. 6. The pin 18 arrives thus at the point of the projection 22, where the inclined surface 23 commences. At this instant the levers 19 and 21 fall into their first position under the influence of the spring'25, the pin 18 then coming into contact with the bottom edge of the lever 19. This contact closes the circuit so that v the attraction of thearmature is repeated. The passage of the current after the contact pin 18 comes into contact with the lever 19 is as follows:

One pole of a battery which for example may consist of two dry cells connected in series, is connected with one end of the wire 26 forming the coils 1 and 2. The other end of this wire is connected with an insulated metal plate 27. .Said metal plate 27 can be insulated by being screwed on a plate of hard rubber secured on the plate 13 of the clock casing in suitable manner. On. said plate 27 is secured the axis 20 which is shown as an ordinary metal screw, on which axis the lever 19 is mounted. The electric current passes iromthe plate 27 to the lever 19 and from thence to the pin 18 when said pin is in contact with the lever. The pin 18 is'in electric connection with the mechanism of the clockwork. and also with the plate 13 of the clock-work casing. Said plate 13 however is connected with the other pole of the battery.

I would mention that the spring 25, which presses against the back edge of the lever 19 is designed to retain this lever in a middle position, out of which it can recoil, but is always brought back into the first position by the spring. 'Said spring can however-be replaced by a stop, which prevents the lever 19 from falling after the contact pin has left the same. I would also mention that it is advisable to construct the metal pin 18 of platinum or of any other metal, which melts difficultly, and it is also advisable to "provide a layer of platinum or other suitable metal along the bottom edge of the lever 19 where it comes into contact with the pin 18. Finally I would point out that it is not absolutely necessary to pivotally connect the lever 21 with the lever 19 by means of a pin or screw 20, but said lever 21 may be adapted to turn on the pin 20 or the like, the dimensions of these parts being chosen accordingly.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An electric time piece, comprising in combination, a pivoted armature, an arm fastened to said armature, a contact piece fastened to said arm, an insulated lever, disposed in proximity to said contact piece, a second lever pivoted in proximity to said first lever. and a projection on said second lever, substantially as, and for the purpose,

set forth.

- 2. An electric time piece, comprising in combination, :1 pivoted armature. an arm fastened to said armature, a

contact piece fastened to said arm, an insulated lever disused in proximity to said contact piece, :1 pin on said lover. a second lever pivoted on said pin and a projection on said second lever, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.

3. An electric time piece, comprising in combination, a pivoted armature, an arm fastened to said armature, a contact piece fastened to said arm, an insulated lever disposedv in proximity to said contact piece, a pin on said lever, a second lever pivoted on said pin, a projection on said-second lever, and a spring which tends to move saidprojection towards the bottom edge of said lever, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.

4. An electric contact device, comprising in combination, an armature, an arm fastened to said armature, a contact piece carried by said arm, a lever contact piece pivoted in proximity to said first contact piece, and a spring adapted to keep said lever contact piece in its middle position, substantially as set forth.

5. An electric contact device, comprising in combination, a pivoted armature, an arm fastened to said armature, a contact piece carried'by said arm, a pivoted lever disposed in proximity to said contact piece, a spring adapted to keep said lever in its middle position, a second lever pivoted to said first lever, a projection on said second lever-and a spring adapted to press said projection against the bottom edge 01! said first lever, substantially as set forth. i

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

EMIL SCHULTZ.

Witnesses HENRY HASPEB, WoLnEMAn HAUPT. 

